


Essence of Cinnabar

by CityEscape4



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Assassination attempts, Gen, Just slightly, Non-Graphic Violence, Poisoning, can be seen as kingdomshipping (nasch/durbe/merag) if you wish, this is an older fic sliiiiiiightly touched up on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 17:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityEscape4/pseuds/CityEscape4
Summary: In an attempt to get Nasch’s council to warm up to the foreign knight Durbe gone wrong, Nasch and Merag find themselves with a friend felled by an assassin’s arrows.





	Essence of Cinnabar

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a combined prompt from two separate people, one of the line “You’re gonna be fine, okay? You… You’ll be fine.” between Rio and Durbe, and one of the line “You can make it through this. I know you can. Y-you have to…” between Ryoga and Durbe. 
> 
> Pairing(s): None. (can be taken as Nasch/Durbe(Tomoshipping), Durbe/Merag(HolyIceshipping), or Nasch/Durbe/Merag(Kingdomshipping) if you wish.

“It’d be in both yours, and her majesty’s best interest to make sure you stay safe and healthy, your highness.”

Nasch’s meetings with the kingdom’s council were usually brief, Nasch having kept the same ideals as his father had before he had passed away so suddenly. But today’s meeting seemed to drag on a bit longer than Nasch had expected.

“I know this. Do you think of me that childishly, councilman?” Nasch’s eyes narrowed at the man below him, kneeling before the throne. Even Merag, who was standing at Nasch’s left hand side had a slight frown on her face as she watched the man before her twin. Durbe, who stood at Nasch’s right hand side in his usual armor, remained neutral.

“Never, your majesty! But despite our efforts, we’ve found no other kin of your family. Should anything happen to the two of you, the kingdom would become a warzone, for all the other kingdoms would fight over us.”

Nasch was silent, knowing the councilman was right, though before he could say anything, Merag spoke. “Brother? May I?” She asked.

Nasch nodded, and Merag turned her head to look at the council before them. “I propose this: Should any shortcomings befall my brother and I before either of us are wed or have produced an heir, then to prevent war ravishing the kingdom, our kingdom shall become part of Sir Durbe’s kingdom.”

A few scattered gasps filled the throne room, and the head councilman who had been kneeling stood in shock. “My princess! You can’t be serious!"

Even Nasch and Durbe had looked over at Merag in surprise, Nasch looking from her, briefly glancing to Durbe, then looking at Merag again.

“I am.” Merag replied, her tone cool and steely, obviously confident in what she had said. “I trust Sir Durbe with my life, councilmen. If he speaks to me, I hold his words as true as I hold Nasch’s. He speaks highly of his king whenever we ask to tell us of him. And while we have yet to have the honor of meeting such a man in person, if such a kingdom has graciously let their knight travel back and forth between their kingdom and ours, with no demand of gold or land or men allows Sir Durbe freely come and go as he will as long as their kingdom is not under war and in need of their knights, then I believe a kingdom with such a well-mannered king, that produces knights as skilled and mannerly as Sir Durbe would care for our land, and our people in it.”

There was an eerie silence after Merag finished speaking, not a single member of the council looking pleased with what she said at all. Durbe looked the most shocked out of any of them. He wanted to speak, but held back, letting Nasch’s council speak before him. “My princess,” began the head councilman, “perhaps if you think a little more clearly, then–”

“I second my sister’s decision.”

All eyes were on Nasch then, who looked every bit as confident as Merag had been when she was speaking. He sat a bit more upright in his throne, looking out towards the council before him.

“We’ve known Durbe for several years now. I trust him, and by appointing him my personal knight, I in turn trust his kingdom.”

“My King,” the head councilman knelt yet again, “Your father bent the rules for you when he was king by making an _outsider_ your right hand knight over the dozens of men who’ve served your kingdom faithfully. We were very hesitant in his decision to support you with this, but he managed to convince us to do so.” He looked up then, glancing at Durbe. “But the fact of the matter is that this _boy_ has more of a chance dying than you. He’s a knight. He puts his life on the line every day, and knows how trivial his life is compared to those he vows to protect. So how would that look to his kingdom when their leniency in sending their knights out so frivolously is repaid with a dead warrior? In my honest opinion, their willingness to send their knights out like this isn’t a sign of their capabilities as a country, but of their inability to properly rule a country. Would you really want a kingdom like _that_ caring for your people, my king?”

Durbe’s jaw clenched at that, but he bit his tongue, knowing this wasn’t his native kingdom, and his word had the least weight if he were to speak. That didn’t prevent him from clenching his fist however, rather irritated about how this man was speaking about the king who knighted him.

Nasch noticed this though, and looked to the knight. “Durbe.” He nodded slightly. “You’ve been quiet about the matter. What do you think?” He’d constantly had to remind Durbe he _could_ freely speak throughout these meetings, that he considered Durbe as much a part of this kingdom as any other person was, but the knight tended to strictly follow the rules when it came to having to deal with the council and priests of this kingdom, out of respect.

Durbe was silent, looking at Nasch almost unsurely, but the young king nodded, smirking slightly at Durbe. Nasch had almost reprimanded the councilman for speaking ill of a man of another kingdom, but he felt to let Durbe have the ‘honors’ instead.

“Sir Councilman, tell me. What do you think of your king?” Durbe asked, looking away from Nasch as he spoke, gray eyes narrowed singularly on the head councilman.

“I beg your pardon?”

“What do you think of your king?” Durbe repeated. “He hasn’t been on the throne for long, that’s understandable, but do you really think so little of him?”

The councilman’s face grew red in anger. “I said no such thing! How dare you put words in my mouth, you ungrateful—“

“I’m not putting words in your mouth.” Durbe remained calm despite the head councilman’s anger. “I’m merely observing. His majesty knows well of the dangers I choose to face, acting as a knight for both this kingdom and my homeland. He knows his and Princess Merag’s well-being are important for the safety of this kingdom. Yet you choose to spoon-feed him information, to the point where even _he_ asked if you thought of him childishly.”

Durbe then stepped down from standing beside the throne, walking towards the councilman. “You immediately said no, but then a few moments later referred to me as just a boy. I’m one year their highnesses’ elder, capable of fighting and surviving battles you would no doubt perish in yourself. If you think me a boy, what do you think of them?”

“One more word, Sir Durbe, and I will—“

“Will what?” Durbe asked, standing right in front of the councilman. Despite being a couple inches shorter than the man, the expression on Durbe’s face must have been quite a sight, because the other members of the council had taken a step back, and the head councilman looked slightly pale. “Continue to make a fool out of yourself? Or continue to show just how disrespectful you are towards not only your own king, but the rulers of other kingdoms? Because you seem to have a penchant for disrespecting myself, and my home, and I find both it, and your actions disgusting. At least I respect royalty and am not so cowardly as to talk down upon them behind their back.”

“Sir Durbe–!”

“That’s enough.” Nasch stood from his throne, Durbe taking a moment to glare up at the councilman for a second longer before turning to look at Nasch. “I think we’re done for today. We’ll return tomorrow, when we’re all a little less heated.” With that, Nasch nodded towards Durbe and Merag before turning and walking away. “Merag. Durbe. Come.”

* * *

The next day, Durbe sighed, leaving the room the twins gave him when he stayed in the kingdom, so that he could begin heading to the throne room. He was quiet, silently musing over yesterday’s events. Perhaps he shouldn’t have lost his temper like that…

“Durbe.”

Durbe blinked and looked up to see Merag and Nasch approaching him, Merag’s voice having pulled him out of his thoughts. “Good morning Nasch, Merag.”

“Here,” Merag smiled and handed Durbe a fresh set of folded clothes, which the knight accepted gracefully, albeit a bit confusedly. “Try wearing these for today’s meeting with the council.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, but ah, why are you giving me these?” A sheepish smile came to the knight, gesturing to the folded clothes in his hands.

“Well,” Merag began, “perhaps if the council saw you wearing the more casual set of armor that the soldiers of our kingdom wear, they might warm up to you a bit?”

“Or resent him completely.” Nasch said with a frown, his arms crossed over his chest. “They’re all full of hot air.”

“Shush, Nasch.” Merag scolded. “If they do get angry at him, then I’ll say I told him to wear it. They’d understand then.”

“Or get angrier.” A scoff escaped the King then. “There’s no pleasing them, Merag. They’ll always find something to nitpick. I can’t even begin to fathom how Father put up with them for so long.”

“Well there’s no harm in trying.” Merag replied. She then turned to Durbe, a smile on her face. “Go try them on.”

Durbe smiled gently in return, nodding slightly. “Alright.” With that, Durbe turned back into his room. After a couple minutes, he re-emerged, wearing an outfit similar to Nasch’s (though not nearly as regal), arms bared, and his cape behind him. “How do I look?”

Nasch smirked somewhat. “Not bad. It suits you.”

Merag nodded in agreement. “Now come on, let’s not be late, or the council will give us an earful.”

* * *

It wasn’t long before the council meeting took place, Nasch and Merag deep in conversation with the council about borders and trading and such. Durbe stood faithfully by Nasch’s side, admittedly feeling a bit cold. This kind of armor didn’t cover nearly as much as his metal plated armor. But he did feel much lighter than before. Perhaps if he just stayed in the warmth than this wouldn’t be so bad.

Though, Durbe felt something was… off. His eyes darted from side to side, silently scanning each person in the room. Something here wasn’t right… He didn’t like this.

Nasch seemed to pick up on Durbe’s unease, letting Merag talk with the council by herself for a moment before leaning a bit to the side. “Durbe? Is something the matter?”

Durbe exhaled, and shook his head. “No,” he lied. “Just a little cold. I’m not used to armor like this.”

A frown lightly tugged at Nasch’s lips, but he seemed to accept the answer. “After this we’ll go out and run the horses. You’ll get some sun then.” A brief nod was Nasch’s only response, and the king returned to the conversation.

Up in the higher floor, there were a small group of men, hiding fairly well, assassins hired by a foreign leader who wanted the land of the Kingdom of Poseidon for their own. They kept themselves hidden, keeping both Nasch and Merag in their line of sight. Their faces were masked, and they waited for a moment, before moving into position and drawing their bows.

Still, Durbe’s eyes had been scanning the room, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that settled in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to look up, time seeming to stand still as he saw the assassins.

Durbe’s eyes widened, and he moved as the assassins released their arrows. “Watch out!” With that, Durbe moved and grabbed his cape, using his body to shield Nasch, and his cape as a veil-like curtain to cover Merag. Both twins gasped as a few arrows got caught in Durbe’s cape, the arrowheads hanging in place. Merag’s eyes were wide, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she slunk to the floor. The realization of Durbe’s movements hit her full force as the adrenaline and shock began to fade. If he hadn’t have moved like he had, then instead of his cape, the arrows would have instead hit… _her._

A chill ran through her spine then, Nasch standing to move so he could kneel at his twin’s side. “Merag!” As soon as he knew for sure she was ok, he was going to hunt down the cocky bastard who dared to try and harm his sister! And in the throne room no less!

“I’m fine, brother.” Merag insisted, her hand grabbing his a bit shakily. “Just… in shock.” She squeezed Nasch’s hand in reassurance, then looked up to Durbe, a thankful yet tired smile on her face. “Durbe, thank y– Durbe?”

Nasch turned to look at Durbe then, looking at the knight confusedly. Durbe was facing the throne, like he had when he’d moved to protect Merag, but he hadn’t moved a muscle, his arm even still outstretched to shield Merag with his cape. “Durbe?” Nasch echoed his sister, standing up and putting a hand on Durbe’s shoulder, only to frown slightly as he felt Durbe trembling, and immediately tense at his touch.

“Y-Your highness…!” One of the members of the council pointed at Durbe then. “His back!”

Nasch felt a sickening feeling begin to rise in his stomach, but before he could do anything, Durbe began to fall forward, his entire body falling limp.

“Durbe!”

Both twins cried out as the knight fell, Nasch catching him before he fell face-first into the throne. Though as he held Durbe’s body against him, both he and Merag noticed what it was that the council was pointing out just a moment ago.

There were arrows lodged in Durbe’s back. Ones that, like with Merag, if he hadn’t moved like he had, those arrows would have been resting in Nasch instead. If he had kept on his normal, metal plated armor, they would just harmlessly bounced off, or at the worst, dinged the armor or have the arrow tip become loosely lodged. But having been donning the casual, leather armor of this kingdom, he really wasn’t prepared at all for an attack like this.

“Oh gods, Durbe!” Merag was quick to be at her twin’s and Durbe’s sides. “Durbe? Can you hear me?!” As she began trying to wake him up, Nasch looked to the councilmen, who were just watching in shock.

“Don’t just stand there! Go get the healers!”

The council then sprung into action, mixed cries of “Of course!” and “Yes, my king!” and so on filling the room for a brief moment before most of them left for the healers.

“He shouldn’t be unconscious like this…” Merag murmured, and hand gently stroking Durbe’s cheek. The silver-haired male’s face was contorted in pain, seething slightly as he trembled in Nasch’s arms, though at feeling a gentle touch on his face, he relaxed, if only just barely. “In pain, yes, but not unconscious.”

“I don’t want to touch the arrows in his back.” Nasch replied. “Give me one of the ones from his cape.” Merag obediently obliged, pulling one of the snagged arrows from Durbe’s cape and handing it to Nasch. The purple-haired male scrutinized the reddish-black stone arrowhead, a deep scowl on his face. “I recognize this type of stone…”

“I do too…” Merag reached out to touch the arrowhead, but she stopped short, pulling her hand back. “Father mentioned it before when teaching us about bows and arrows…”

Nasch nodded. “Yeah. And I think Durbe might have talked about them too at one point. This red color… It means the stone come from a volcano.”

The healers were quick to arrive, salve and bandages in hand. They then lifted Durbe off of their king, and onto the floor, if only for a moment, so they could undo his cape and the armor on his upper half.

“Volcano?” Merag murmured questioningly, desperately trying to pull anything she remembered about this stone. Dark pink eyes soon widened in horrified realization. “Cinnabar!”

Nasch and the healers looked at her then, surprise on their faces. The word suddenly rang clearly in Nasch’s head, and he looked at the arrow in his hand before looking towards Durbe, clear worry on his face. “It’s a rock with a natural poison inside of it! And if you choose to use it as an arrowhead, then…”

“Then you’re not using these for simply to kill. You want to make your enemy slowly suffer.” Merag finished.

The healers carefully pulled the arrows from Durbe’s back, the knight crying out in pain at each one, even in his unconscious state. They quickly applied the salve to his back, and wrapped him in bandages, but it only helped with the wounds themselves, not the poison of the stone in his bloodstream.

“We need to carry him back to the healing chambers.” One healer said. “We can treat him for the poison there.”

“Let me help you carry him.” Nasch offered, standing from his spot.

“Your highness,” began the head councilman. “You were just attacked! Perhaps you should–”

“Durbe would do the same for me if our roles were switched.” Nasch retorted, walking over to help the healers carry him. “Besides, those arrows were meant for Merag and I. This is the least I could do right now to help repay Durbe.”

“I’ll help too.” Merag said, nodding.

“But your highness–”

“No.” Nasch stated. “You and the rest of the council will put out a bounty on this assassin’s head. They couldn’t have gotten far. Gather the soldiers, and scour the castle grounds. If you come back empty handed, release a statement to the kingdom: A reward for the person who can bring me back the person or group of people who attempted to kill Merag and I. I want them alive so I can deal with them myself.”

“Y-Yes, my king. As you wish…” With that, the council dispersed, combing through the castle with the castle’s soldiers to see if there was any sign of just who attacked their King and Princess.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Durbe was resting in the castle’s healing chambers, Merag talking with the healers over what type of remedies would be used to help neutralize the poison. Volcanoes weren’t common in the United Lands of Poseidon, so the healers didn’t know what kind of qualities this poison was capable of, or if their remedies would be enough.

Nasch, on the other hand, was standing near where Durbe lay, not liking seeing his friend in pain like this at all. Durbe was on his stomach so that the wounds caused by the arrows were visible, faint red splotches forming through the salve and bandages. He felt almost helpless to do anything, and he absolutely hated it. He briefly glanced to Merag and the healers, before looking back at Durbe and sitting down by him.

Durbe was still trembling, almost violently now, his expression still twisted in pain. Nasch cursed softly, a hand placing itself back on Durbe’s shoulder. His anger at the entire situation was only growing. Someone dared to be audacious enough to not only attempt to assassinate both him and Merag, but in the castle no less! Now Durbe was the one paying the price, all because of a poisoned stone arrowhead that was foreign to this land, and possibly even Durbe’s own? A scowl took place on his lips, as he glared at the suffering knight. “What’s with this grimace you have?” Nasch squeezed Durbe’s shoulder somewhat, the action more one of compassion as opposed to the tone of his words. “You’re better than this. You’ve told me stories worse than this! Are you really going to let a couple stupid arrows bring you down? Especially in front of Merag and I?!”

Of course, there was no response, and Nasch wasn’t expecting one. He sighed, pulling his hand away from Durbe so he could groan and run his hand through his own hair in frustration. “You’re better than this.” He repeated, though weaker this time. “You can make it through this. I know you can.” He was silent for a moment, the only sounds in the room being the healers’ rapid discussions and scurrying. “… Y-You have to.”

“Nasch.”

Nasch blinked, and looked up to his sister, who was standing by him now, and holding a small glass. “What’s that?”

“It’s a drink the healers asked me to try and get Durbe to ingest while they work on something for his wounds.” She replied, making her way to Durbe’s side. “Could you carefully move him? I need him on his back and sitting up a bit so he doesn’t choke.”

“Is it alright to move him like that?” Nasch asked warily, not that he didn’t trust Merag, but because he didn’t want to put too much pressure on Durbe’s wounds.

Merag understood Nasch’s concern, nodding a little. “They said it was, so long as he’s back on his stomach by the time they come back.”

Nasch nodded in understanding, standing up and being as gentle as he could trying to move Durbe onto his back. It seemed like things were fine, until Nasch settled the knight back down, Durbe crying out in pain as his weight was shifted to his back. The twins cringed, not wanting to hear their friend in such pain, but kept moving him, Merag putting the glass down to help Nasch sit Durbe up a little.

“The only problem now is that he’s unconscious. If we just tried feeding this to him now, he’ll choke on it.” Merag mused, frowning slightly. “We need to wake him up, even if only for a couple seconds.”

“I was talking to him a few moments ago.” Nasch said. “I was trying to get some sort of reaction out of him, but nothing.”

“Maybe if he hears both of us?” Merag offered.

“That’s wishful thinking.”

“Well,” the princess began, moving to sit on one side of Durbe, leaving Nasch on the other side, the knight in between the two twins. “Better to try it and get no response than to not try it and never know if it could have worked.” With that, Merag reached out with her free hand, gently cupping one of Durbe’s cheeks. “Durbe? Durbe, please wake up.” She brushed her thumb against his skin, a sad smile on her face. “We need you to drink this, _please._ ”

Nasch frowned, though his brows raised slightly as he noticed Durbe faintly lean into her touch. Maybe Durbe actually could hear them? “Come on, baka knight. We’re trying to help you, and you’re just being stubborn. What’s going to happen if you don’t recover from this, huh? Think of all the people you’re leaving behind. Mach, the king of your kingdom, Merag and I.”

“We know it hurts, but you need to wake up.”

“We’re trying to help you.”

After a few more moments of insistent and concerned prodding, Durbe groaned, frowning deeply, his eyes now closed tightly, before slowly opening, weakness and pain evident in his expression.

Both the twins breathed sighs of relief, Merag lifting the glass a bit. “Durbe, drink this, alright?”

Nasch helped Merag by gently tilting Durbe’s head back, the knight’s mouth slightly opening. Merag didn’t waste a second in putting the rim of the glass to his lips and slowly tilting it, Durbe sluggishly taking small sips.

“Does he need to drink the whole thing?” Nasch asked, noticing how Durbe was clearly fighting the urge to pass out yet again, clearly having little to no strength to stay awake.

“No, but it’d help.” Merag said as she took her hand away from Durbe’s face and grabbed a nearby cloth, wiping the bits of escaped liquid from the side of Durbe’s mouth. “They said to make sure he drinks at least half of it.”

“I think that’s the most you’re going to get in him.” Nasch frowned as he watched Durbe, the knight not even reacting to them talking about him. “He’s not going to stay awake much longer.” They hadn’t even managed to get a word out of him, with the exception of the previous groan and his slow response to their command. As much as Nasch didn’t want to admit it, this wasn’t looking good.

“He did wake up though. I’ll take that as a good sign for now.” Merag replied, tilting the cup up a little more, only to pull it away as Durbe’s eyes began to close again. “Durbe, no.” Merag stopped wiping his face and brought her hand back up to his cheek. “Just a little more, alright? Then you can sleep all you want.”

That seemed to get through to him, as the knight struggled to open his eyes. Merag warily put the cup back at his lips, feeling a bit of relief as Durbe began to drink laggardly again.

Nasch used his free hand to reach across Durbe and grab the cloth Merag had relinquished, Nasch now wiping Durbe’s face as Merag continued to get Durbe to drink. Though once the glass seemed to be about half empty, she didn’t try to force him to drink any more. The next time he stopped drinking, she just pulled the glass away, Durbe’s head bobbing as he tried to stay awake.

“Shhh.” Merag put the cup down, opting to gently stroke her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. “You can rest now. You’re going to be fine, okay?”

Nasch watched as Durbe finally looked up at Merag, the first time he’d attempted to do that with either one of them since waking up. The corner of his lips faintly and briefly tugged upwards, like he was attempting to smile, before his eyes closed again, and he began sleeping once more, though visibly he didn’t seem to be in as much pain as he had before.

Merag’s smile faltered slightly, her hand pulling away from his hair as she spoke again. “You’ll… You’ll be fine.”

“Your majesties?” Both twins turned, the healers having returned with a large bowl. “We need to move sir knight back onto his stomach.”

The twins nodded and proceeded to help the healers move Durbe, the knight looking a bit more relieved now that the pressure was off his back once again. Carefully, the healers began peeling the bandages off, applying the creamy liquid in the bowl to the wounds on Durbe’s back.

* * *

A couple of days had passed since then, Durbe rarely being alone as he rested. At least one of the twins was by his side nearly constantly. Nasch was with him at the moment, Merag out with the priests tending to a small matter that arose in the town. The day had been long, the sun beginning to set below the clouds. Nasch yawned, sitting next to where Durbe was resting, looking over the peaceful knight with a slight frown. It had been too long, in Nasch’s opinion. This cure should have worked by now.

With a slight huff, Nasch settled in his seat, folding his arms as he closed his eyes. Perhaps he could rest a little himself… It had been a long day, and Merag wouldn’t be back for another hour or so. The healers had left him and Durbe be, them saying that they had nurtured his wounds some time earlier, and that the knight should be fine for the night.

Nasch’s head had hung slightly, his chin touching his chest. He was finally beginning to drift off when a tired, raspy voice pulled him out of his sleep.

“If you sleep like that, you’re going to get a kink in your neck and wake up grumpier than usual, my friend.”

Blue eyes opened, looking towards Durbe, and widened slightly. “Durbe!” Nasch sat up straight then, looking over the woken knight. “You’re awake!”

Durbe nodded slightly, a small groan coming out of him as he moved a hand to rub at his eyes. “What happened?”

“What all do you remember?”

Durbe frowned, his eyes closing as he tried to recall the last thing he remembered. “I… I saw someone up on the walkway. I moved, then... my back…” Durbe seethed then, having tried to sit up, “hurts, apparently.” Durbe opened his eyes then, them slightly lidded due to his apparent exhaustion. “Then… I heard you and Merag. And I think I drank something…?” Durbe inhaled deeply, shaking his head a little. “And then this.”

Nasch sighed. “Be careful with your back. The people you saw up on the walkway were assassins. You saw their attack coming and moved to protect Merag and myself. Your cape shielded her, and your body shielded me, which landed the arrows in your back. The assassins used specially designated arrowheads that knocked you out.”

Durbe seemed to take a second to process what Nasch was saying, before looking back up to the king. "Are you and Merag alright, then?”

“Are _we_ alright?” Nasch asked, nearly yelling. “You’re the one lying in the healing chambers, unconscious for the last few days from poison, and you’re asking if _**we’re**_ alright?!” A growl escaped the young king. “If you weren’t still recovering I’d hit you for that!”

“Just making sure.” Durbe muttered as he chuckled softly. “Apparently you’re as healthy as ever.” Though after a moment, Nasch’s words seemed to hit him. “Poison?”

Nasch nodded. “Their arrowheads were made out of cinnabar. You took at least 4 to your back. Its been several days since then, and you’ve been unconscious the entire time.”

Durbe sighed, closing his eyes then, frowning deeply. “Your council’s going to have a field day with this, if they haven’t already.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Nasch replied. “I haven’t met with them since then.” Nasch’s jaw tightened then. “Though if the councilmen try to twist you protecting Merag and I into some negative thing, I’ll have their heads.”

A weak laugh escaped the knight then, shaking his head. “You worry about your kingdom. If they speak ill of me, I can take care of myself.”

Nasch scoffed. “Not even ten minutes and you’re telling me what to do? Glad to see you’re fully recovered already.”

Durbe smiled tiredly, before gently nuzzling his head back into the pillow. “Looking out for you is my job.” he murmured, before slowly falling back to sleep.

Nasch watched the knight for a few more moments, before standing up and getting one of the unoccupied healers, telling them that Durbe had woken up. As they were to check on him, Nasch began heading to the front of the castle’s grounds, figuring Merag would want the first thing she’d hear after a long day with the priest was that their knight was going to be ok.

**Author's Note:**

> The stone ‘cinnabar’ has high concentrations of natural mercury in it, which when entered into the bloodstream, can be very poisonous.


End file.
